The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-25

got his thoughts arranged and was preparing to
step oct on the platform DR.. Niccolls, the pastor
of the Second Presbyterian Church, entered the
study a little behind time. Good morning,
sir" said DR.. Thomas. DR.. Niccolls returned
his salutation with Christian politeness, and
worldly surprise to find stranger making him
self so at home in his study Explanations fol-
lowed, the mistake was discovered. and IN few
moments DR.. Thomas making very rapid
time towards the Second Baptist Church where
he arrived just in time to relieve the anxiety Of
the congregation by rushing into the pulpit
quite out of breath. All this was amusing, but
shudders to contemplate the consequences
if DR.. Thomas had begun to preach in Dr. Mic
collss pulpit before the latter arrived and had
bombarded helpless Presbyterian congregation
with red-hot doctrinal Baptist sermon.
AT the annual banquet of the New England
Society of Brooklyn, held in that city few
nights ago, General Sherman was one of the
guests and speakers. After making some apt
and interesting remarks relative TO revolution
airy and forefather TOPICS he dropped into
modern history follows:
81 hope 1 shall not be misunderstood when 1
say that in 1861 there was war-a simple.
plain We first depended on volunteers.
and God knows how We love those volunteers
But about the spring of 1863 voluD teering began
TO fall off. The government, through Congress,
had to pass n act providing for forcioe dratt
of citizens into the army A basis for proper
tionate draft from each State was prepared aud
a credit and debit account of soldiers entered
against each State. | want you to see how the
States stood Connections was LISA behind;
Delaware, 473 behind: Illinois, 60. III ahead: In
diana. %. Sill ahead: Iowa l3. S97 ahead; Kansas
and Kentucky not determined; Maine, 2,SS2
behind; Maryland. 13, 302 behind; Massachusetts,.
1851 behind; Michigan. 5.238 ahead; Missouri.
not determined: Minnesota. 253o ahead; New o
hahi Ind. TarS
behind: New York, 5,5l7 ahead; Ohio, Is, 429
ahead; Pennsylvania. IL, 407 behind; Rhode
Island, l. 1913 ahead; Tennessee, not determined;
Vermont. none; West Virginia, 1873; Wiscon-
SIM 3,51S."
The figures show that when the draft for
soldiers began nearly all the New England
States were behind on their quotas and all the
Western States ahead. The conclusion drawn
by General Sherman was that in the early days
and years of the war the Western States. as
rule, ''were the greatest factors of our struggle
to preserve the Union. He spoke of the West
ern States as that newer New England founded
in the West just after the revolution" and
added, 81 claim that the West in 1861 was the
living embodiment of the principles of our fore
fathers, the principle of standing up for ones
country and fighting at the first call.
A GIRL in New York has been sentenced to
the penitentiary for month for killing two
canary birds belonging to a Deighbor because
they sang too much and too loud. This was her
opinion, not that Of the birds The judge did not
approve her cruel treatment of the birds and gave
her month at Sing Sing. This was his opin-
ion, not hers. A New York paper, commenting
on the incident, moralizes on cruelty to animals
an index of character, and says:
''Ten years ago one of the prettest and bright
est girls in the city was betrothed to a young
lawyer OF brilliant promise. During the engage
ment both paid visit to a relative In a country
home. One morning the young lady arose at an
unusually early hour. and while dressing. heard
the twitterins and cries of bird in distress out
side. She looked through the window and be-
held her future husband engaged in torturng
sparrow he had caught Half an hour afterward
the young lawyer came in debonslr and smiling.
He met by his fiancee with his ring out on
the palm of her hand. Take it,, she said, i
have no wish to share the fate of that poor spar
row. Neither arguments, excuses nor persuas-
ives changed her mind. Three years later the
young lawyer married young lady OF refine
ment and high social position. Four years aft
erwards his wife sued for divorce, making,
among other allegations the charges that he
had frequently pinched her arms black and blue,
twisted her wrists and bitten her" =
This il a very pretty little story. The obvious
moral is that young lady should marry with
out first having tested her affianced with dumb
animals to see how he treats them She might
first try him with q cat to see if he pulls its tail.
then with pug dog to see if ne kicks it, and
finally with brace of English sparrows to see if
he twists their heads off. The last is the crown
ing test, and if a man passes it successfully he
will do to tie to.
THE statement is not infrequently made that
the young men and women of the present gener-
alton inferior to their parents in intellectual
vigor. This charge. never very forcibly sup
ported, receives curious refutation in a report
which comes this week from an educational in
stitution in the State. It seems, according to
the account. that the students have been regu-
lar attendants at religious revival, and that
one hundred OF them have been Converted" the
entire proceeding having been conducted with
out the s!ie Test interruption in their college du
ties" Now conversion" in revival parlance,
is a mental and moral revolution. and in former
times. at least, was not effected without great
travail of spirit 1t was. in fact, CONFUSION
spiritual OF the nature. and was usually pre-
ceded by a period of gloom, and fol-
lowed by corresponding exaItaton of
SOUL which again succeeded by state
of mind not always placid This agitation and
e emotional excitement were apt to unfit the con-
vert for the everyday duties of life for time,
and it was nothing uncommon if he neglected his
business. or. il he student, his books.
They 60 these things better now. Tho process
of conversion can, it seems, be carried on sim
ultaneously with the ordinary occupations.
The soul can be saved without interference with
t he daily recitations. The modern youth can
make arrangements to read his title clear to
heavenly mansions without missing problem in
higher mathematics losing the continuity of
his Greek lessons. His father could not do
this and it therefore follows that his father had
1ooo e,f hrai Tha is
to his elders.
THE following from Rio Janeiro letter in
the New YORK Herald bears pleasant testimony
to the success of some American lady teachers
in that city. possibly some of those from Indi-
annapolis, of whom there are several in the
Brazilian capital